


Besmirched By Crimson {Ereri/Riren/Levi x Eren}

by McHeichou



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, shingeki no kyojin attack on titan, snk - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Gay, Gen, Homosexuality, Male Homosexuality, Yaoi, aot - Freeform, attack on titan - Freeform, erenxlevi - Freeform, ereri, riren - Freeform, shingeki no kyojin - Freeform, snk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-13 07:31:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3372998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McHeichou/pseuds/McHeichou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The only hue that stained his monochrome world - Red. The colour was everywhere.  Red blemishing those slender digits of his, red flowing in gutters, red was the water in which he bathed, red was the colour he couldn't escape.<br/>Titans- this was a very well-known name in Trost City , every single person wished they wouldn't ever encounter it. Who wouldn't? Titans were a ruthless group killing anyone that ever crossed paths with them. Their leader , Kenny Ackerman , a sadistic bastard who did not want his autocracy over Trost to end. He nourished on the fear of others. Even the cops feared him. And Of Course, not to forget his right hand without whom Kenny was nothing, Levi Ackerman.<br/>Another infamous group, but less cruel than The Titans was - Survey Corps. The rivalry between these two groups was very well heard of, could also result in deaths of many innocents.<br/>Eren Yeager, member of Survey Corps who swore he would avenge his mother's death. His sole purpose was to kill Kenny Ackerman who dared to pierce his mother's skull with the filthy bullet of his gun.<br/>What will happen when the two rivals meet? Will Eren be able to pull off that blindfold of revenge and be able to see affection in Levi's eyes?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. [0] Crimson

**Author's Note:**

> No hate comments please

Trost never really had a vivid sunny day as most of the time the sky would be blanketed with thick grey clouds, dropping the temperature to a great extent, making it appear lifeless and stale. Everyday was more bleak than the other while rain wasn't cherished alot in this pathetic excuse of a civilization. Calm breeze blew past a small figure clad in all monochrome who was standing on the sidewalk of the street, lighting a cigarette that was dangling from his closed thin lips. He took a long drag from it, letting the lethal gas fill his lungs to calm his nerves. Normally he didn't smoke but today might be an exceptional case. He had witnessed and performed many murders but this current situation was affecting him more than it should.

"Please leave u-us ! We didn't do anything wrong !" Shrieked a freckled boy. He seemed to be in his teenage days, perhaps eighteen or nineteen. Freckled boy was shaking robustly whilst Kenny just laughed to mirror his wickedness. It wasn't even a laugh one would perform encountering a joke but it was dry, dull and full of evil intentions.

"Didn't do anything wrong?! You two were sucking each other's faces! You homosexual morons !" Kenny snarled at the two boys who were kneeling at the middle of a deserted road due to a bullet digged in each of their calves. 

"Please don't do anything to Marco !" Cried another boy who had bi-coloured hair. Marco stared at him wide-eyed, clearly not content with the words that had left his bleeding lips."J-Jean ! No ! You deserve to live !" A tear strolled down his freckled cheek. 

Kenny made some gagging noises deriding Marco and Jean's affinity for each other. From far away, Levi's breath hitched on seeing Kenny's behaviour. Albeit Levi was used to these activities that their gang performed, he couldn't help but turn away his gaze from the scene that was about to be coloured crimson.

Petra, his sister, would always try to buoy up his spirits with that honey dripping tone of hers, telling him he is special because he likes guys. Levi exhaled another puff of nicotine permeated air, not saying anything. Levi resented himself for being homosexual and the worst part was, he was familiar with a certain couple,Jean and Marco. He would sometimes stand on this sidewalk with his hoodie on, watching them as they would pass by hand-in-hand ,laughing, smiling , jubilating the bits of life together. Was Levi envious? Albeit he wouldn't admit it, his lips would consistently show a slight upward curl whenever the lovers walked past him. Now, it was his fault, his fault that they were facing Kenny's wrath. If he had not walked up to this exact location, on this sidewalk, like always, then Kenny wouldn't have followed him here and seen them.  
Why was Levi thinking about all this? He had performed many murders but why have regrets now? Maybe he had entered that part of his life where philosophical thoughts were starting to bug his mind but to reciprocate that thought he was just twenty eight years old. 

A reassuring hand landed on Levi's shoulder from behind and he instantly knew whose hand it was as a loving and warm feeling unfurled his current contracted heart. Petra. She was the only woman Levi could ever care for. Petra met her hazel eyes with his grey ones with her eyebrows were furrowed together, questioning Levi. "What are you doing here?" She framed her thoughts into words. He was about to answer but Petra but her grip over his shoulder tightened, "W-Who is he? Why are those people bleeding?" Pure fear framed her voice.

"Petra," his monotone voice addressed her. "Go before Kenny sees you. I don't want him laying a finger on you." All these years, he had kept her safe out of Kenny's reach. She would often question Levi why won't he just walk away from that life full of regrets. He never had a logical answer to support his deeds but was just trying to protect her as he wanted to have enough power in his hands with which he could keep what's left with him under his protection. 

"Yes but-"  
A blast of gun prevented her from speaking any further. Levi froze in his place, having the exact idea why and whose gun went off.  
"Go Go Go Go." Levi pushed Petra out of the sidewalk. Petra gave a gasp of horror indicating that her innocent eyes had landed on that horrifying scene. Levi took her hand and dragged her before Kenny could turn and see them together. 

"You shouldn't have been out here," Levi hissed to her as they stopped near an abandoned departmental store. Petra was about to say something but her trembling lips didn't allow any sensible words to be framed. 

Levi pulled her close to himself, trying to calm that poor soul who had witnessed what Levi witnesses in his day-to-day life. He pulled out his cell phone and pressed certain digits on the keypad. "Hello? Yes Olou. Kenny has done it again. This time on the middle of the road. Take care of the bodies, get it? Good."

He shoved it back in his back pocket and took a look at Petra. "I'm so sorry," he said as he hugged her closer.  
"B-but they died. W-Why didn't you do something..." She managed to say between pained sobs.  
"Because it's too late to walk away from this life, Petra."


	2. [0.5] When We Met

A turquoise eyed man walked past a fuming lady, trying his best to avoid that hot gaze that was trying to shred his ideals. 

"Eren," she called to him in a stern voice, "listen to me, these people are just trying to use you and I am sure they won't help you with whatever fancy you have-"

"Trying to avenge someone's death isn't a fancy, Mikasa. And that someone is my mother, who fed me, took care of me, put my needs over hers, she was my everything.  
I-I-" came out a croaked voice. Mikasa's intentions were not to scrape old wounds but Eren's behaviour was getting too much hostile these days. The way he would leave their house without any warning, get angry at the smallest issues of concern and ignore his friends, was heating those usual cool nerves of hers. He took some deep breaths, the cold heavy air filling his lungs to calm that furiously beating heart of his. 

The thing that was bugging Eren the most was- why bring up the topic of his mother now? It had been how many years?- Ah yes, 15 years since she died. Baby Eren was just five years old then ; the universe gave him meagre five years with his mother, not to forget subtracting those nine months in which he was inside her womb. It was hard to imagine a child of five was living his years with the word revenge engraved in his mind. A mere child whose eyes were burnt with the sight of his mother covered in blood, her eyes open with shock and mouth slightly agape. How could Eren forget that life-changing scene, that scene that challenged his mentality every night when he would try to sleep.

"Eren." Mikasa's voice was drowned in need for attention. "Try to think practically, please don't let emotions get in your way-"

"Why? So that I can become as emotionless as you, Mikasa? Why can't you feel the pain like I do? You also saw your parents..." Eren knew he had crossed a fierce boundary; he shouldn't have mentioned that topic but Mikasa just now did the same, well, in an indirect manner.

He heard her step-sister sigh, "I...don't know Eren. I don't have any energy to deal with the past, I want to live in the present and I won't let you ruin your future." She pulled out a chair and sat on it, the chair supporting her weight whilst her elbows on her knees and palms on her forehead, supporting the growing tension in her head. The ambience was as tense as an inflated balloon and if anyone spoke up, their voices would only serve as a a pin to that balloon.

Eren didn't say anything because he knew she was right but he didn't want to support her statement either. "I'm going," he gave a short and pointed reply.

"And where would that be?" She asked with a sharp edge in her words. 

"To meet Armin at the café and I suppose you should go there too, your shift is going to start soon." He reminded her, his soul soothed knowing their discussion didn't last long.

Mikasa looked solicitously at Eren, "I don't have the mood to go today, please tell Armin to attend my shift as well. I'll pay him later." Eren nodded in agreement even though he knew Armin won't accept the money Mikasa was planning on giving him. The three of them made money individually with Armin and Mikasa working at Trost Café while Eren at a grocery store.

With a soft click of the door, Eren exited their dingy house. It wasn't big, nor was it a nightmare for the claustrophobic.The streets were uneven and crossed themselves several times, creating a maze for the people. The perplexity of the map of Trost was very high but Eren knew every nook and cranny of the place. He was, as usual, going there to get a cup of coffee before the start of his shift at the Garrison Store.

Two more strides and he entered the main street where the actual bustle of the civilization existed. Cars honked, men screamed for bumping into each others' cars, women were merrily having a morning conversation and the children were on their way to school while proletariats walked with their chests puffed up to tell everyone that they had good governmental jobs in this pathetic excuse of a town.

Everything seemed so much normal but a certain brunette's mind was centralized around a cloud of grey thoughts, these were as dull as those mournful days when a loved one would die. A sigh escaped his lips as he went back to focus on the route he was walking on. He caught up speed and quickly stretched his arm to open the doors of Armin's workplace whilst the bell rang to indicate that a customer had just entered. Accordingly, human curiosity compelled people to swerve their heads and look at the person who came in but it soon died and they all went back to focus on what they were doing. Eren rolled his eyes at the unwanted attention and placed his bag on Armin's counter. 

"What would you like, sir-oh Eren. The usual, hmm?" Armin asked way too formally. He grabbed Eren's bag and put it behind the corner. "Anyway Eren, you can go and sit there," he pointed to a table that was located at the edge of the room, just beside the glass wall which had cemented pillars ahead to support the roof.

"There? Oh-Okay. Mikasa will not be coming today, you're on your own today, fellow soul." Eren laughed as he patted Armin's bowl cut golden hair. Armin gave a hearty chuckle knowing he was more than happy to help Mikasa in any matter of concern. According to him, he would always be in debt to the siblings for taking him in their house when his grandfather met a sudden unfortunate event. Armin lost his house to the government and had no choice but to let his friends help him. A soft cough escaped his lips for he had been overworking himself nowadays with a sole goal to provide whatsoever his little family of friends needed. But were his efforts noticed? He would always think of such things. 

Eren pulled out his smartphone from his pocket and sat down on the mentioned seat. He did not notice the small figure that was sitting across from him and continued to look down at his phone, taking a few short glances outside the window too. Several taps of fingers caught Eren's attention and he looked at the ravenette who was watching him with his dull and lifeless grey eyes. Eren hadn't seen such a cold person before, not showing a speck of zest. Zest would an overstatement, not showing a speck of life in him. Everything seemed frozen to him, not moving, lifeless, deprived of any zealousy.

"Oi, what are you startled for? Did you see a ghost?" The raven-haired man asked as he leaned back to straighten his spine. Eren gave a shaky breath of relief to have caught that he was alive. 

He wanted to answer Levi with a 'yes' but couldn't bring himself into saying it so instead he answered, "I didn't know someone else was also sitting here..." He trailed and went back to read a novel in his phone. After some minutes of awkward silence and uneasiness on Eren's part, Armin came out with a tray which he set on their table.

"A cup of black coffee without sugar for Levi Ackerman and a croissant with milked coffee for Eren." Armin confirmed the orders with a nod from both the males. "Enjoy !" He smiled and walked back to the counter leaving Eren and Levi to suffocate in each other's presence. 

"Hi...I'm Eren." Eren introduced himself rather sheepishly. Levi gave a hum while sipping his black coffee. "And..you must be Levi..." 

"Great deduction, Sherlock." Levi snapped as he put the cup back on its saucer. Eren just ignored his rude behaviour and ate his croissant thinking, 'What a nice first meeting.'


	3. (1.0) When regret strikes

Tell me where is fancy bred? Or in the heart or in the head? How begot, how nourished? Reply, reply. It is engendered in the eyes. With gazing fed; and fancy dies. In the cradle where it lies. Let us all ring fancy's knell: I'll begin it- ding, dong, bell. Ding , dong, bell. 

~

A cold and crisp morning breeze of December brought back the memories of those horrifying days when Levi had to cross his hours as a slum dog. He bent down on his knees and examined the streetlamp's pole that was standing upright near the sidewalk. He stared at it for what seemed like hours. His mind drifted back to the night when he being eight years old, was battling with the coolness of the concrete ground under an unlit streetlamp. Little Levi was dressed in tattered clothes, dirtied by those thugs who would always steal his bread or any penny he collected.

That night, Levi couldn't sleep. His little spirit would crumble in fear when those thugs returned at night and would try to poke his sleeping form with sticks as if Levi was a vulnerable street dog. A drowsy Levi began to nod and his head came to rest on the streetlamp's pole. He tried his best to keep his eyes wide open so that he could change his location when his bullies would arrive. His form was ghostly pale and the veins were very much visible through that thin skin that covered him like a white shroud. And those ashen eyes of his weren't providing any appearance of life in them.

He was almost dead and looked like those child-actors used in television anti-abuse campaign; just skin and bones. A stop sign on his heart, and he would be standing in front of the gate of heaven. His heart wrenched thinking about the possibilities of his death- a car accident, getting eaten by animals, beaten to death or starvation. No one was willing to hand him any thread of mercy with which he could climb out of that shithole he was living in. 

"Oi. You piece of shit," a voice came out from the dark. Little Levi squirmed near the pole and embraced himself for the harsh blows of wooden, and sometimes, steel sticks. The worst punishment for his existence were aluminium wires. Being cheap, they were easy to purchase and light to carry around waists which the bullies did.  
His wrists were covered with the marks of stinging wires. 

"Please....." He couldn't see the face of the figure that was standing in front of him. "Let me live....I want to live..." Levi quivered and brought his skinny legs close to his abdomen so that the thugs wouldn't have a chance to kick him in the guts. Fear coursed through his body which made him feel more cold. 'Is this the last day I'll ever feel cold?' he thought.

"Oi. Look here," the man demanded with a dominating crunch in his voice. 

Levi looked up to see a man, his beard was shaved neatly and he was wearing a hat. Levi couldn't see anyone except this man in the vicinity. His chances of being saved were also diminished. "I-I...." Levi managed to croak out, holding back his tears.  
"I am not going to hurt a little bitch like you." 

Levi couldn't help but breathe in relief. But that fear never left him. Kenny closed on him and examined him, "No dog would eat such a stick like you; you'd not sell for good money too. Tch...stand up." 

Levi obliged and stood on his week legs, his arms hanging lifelessly on his sides. His expression was a mix of fear, relief and hope. Tucking his medium length raven hair behind his ear, the boy parted his lips to speak but no coherent word came out. Seeing Levi's reluctance, the man bent down and scrunched his nose in disgust. "You are filthy," he said. Levi looked at his appearance and felt embarrassed of himself. "We've got to clean you first." 

He took a step back in confusion.

"Tch. My name is Kenny, Kenny Ackerman. What is your name, eh?" Kenny asked Levi, still near Levi's head level. Levi couldn't read Kenny's expression through the dark. He wished that the streetlamp were alight right now. 

"M-My name is Levi..." he hadn't spoken his name in a very long time so the words felt foreign on his tongue. A good deal of nervousness was visible on Levi's fragile features. Kenny nodded and motioned Levi to follow him. Levi began to walk beside Kenny as he led him towards an old house. It wasn't fancy and had ivy vines clinging on the brick walls. Levi looked at Kenny and passed him a faded grateful smile 

Kenny just grunted and said, "Don't you dare smile now."

Levi snapped from the thought of his past life. He looked at the pole again, where for the first time Kenny and he met. Now Levi wished they had never met so that Levi could live a life not full of regrets. Or maybe inside a hearse, or most probably rotting in an alley or inside a dustbin. His wish was just to break through the surface and breathe; wait for a miracle or a life-line.  
He stood up from that position. "Damn shit stupid streetlamp isn't working today too," he muttered as he began walking away from the pole, his hands inside the pockets of his jeans. 

He continued on the path towards his apartment where Petra would probably be cooking breakfast. She had to work in a café and if Levi remembered correctly, its name was Trost Café. Now that he was thinking about that café, he couldn't help but remember the brunette who was scared shitless after seeing Levi.

To be honest, Levi was a little hurt at his reaction. But mostly everyone would response the same on seeing Levi so why was he concerned about the brat's reviews about himself? Maybe it was those eyes that beguiled him so much. They weren't green, they also weren't blue, they weren't a perfect teal colour too. They were....different. On seeing those eyes Levi could feel freshness surrounding him and freshness wasn't easily available at the shitty place they lived in. But a sudden thought began to haunt him. What if Kenny sees him with the brunette? Evan? Amen? Eren would be dead meat then. Kenny won't let them live; that callous homophobic bastard. 

'It is just mere attraction, Levi. Don't get affected; it'll die in a few days; appearances are deceptive,' he told himself but that advice soon became evanescent.

On entering his apartment, Levi pushed off his shoes and placed them neatly on the shoe rack. He could already hear the sizzling of omelette on the pan. He just wished that Petra won't exasperate him with sudden questions about his non-existent love life. 

"Brother. You're here, did you meet-" 

"Shut it already." Levi said placidly as he sat on the wooden chair, making a creaking noise in the process.

"That's not fair...all I wanted was to know about your life..." she pouted and looked at Levi as if he was a specimen on a petri-dish and she was a scientist. Her questions always seemed to burrow under his skin, clawing at his flesh to get nourishment like a parasitic insect. On the contrary, her presence seemed warm and homely to him; a feeling that Levi almost lost his stimuli to.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks," Levi quoted from Hamlet.

"What...?" She ignored his statement and went on to make breakfast for him. Levi looked at her in amusement and thought about that day when he met Petra for the first time. The ten year old was covered in dirt and blood and when Levi got to see those hazel eyes to hers, he instantly fell in love with them. He didn't want to go through that memory in detail but he did remember the reason why she was left on the streets like that. Trost, those days had many families leaving their homes and migrating to different places; the reason being its terrifying ambience. Petra was one of those kids who were left behind deliberately by their parents. One less mouth to feed, one less burden to carry.

"There you go." Petra placed the warm breakfast in front of him. "Also, I am going to the café a little bit early so I'd be having lunch early too. You would probably have your own business to get done with so...you don't have to visit to eat lunch with me." 

"Oh, alright." Levi said as he silently poked the omelette with a steel fork. 

***

"There you go, sir." Eren said as he handed the plastic bag full of grocery stuff to a red-head customer. 

'Garrison store. Where you have to smile almost the whole fucking day or the management will bust your petty asses. Might as well save mine,' Eren thought as he passed a forced smile to the red-head. She ignored him like all those customers who had more to do than to pass useless smiles at meager cashiers. 

"Thank you very much for your generosity !" Eren called out sarcastically. All of this frisky façade was itching on his skin so much that he wanted to rip off his skin and wash it until all the irritation became negligible to notice. His mobile phone buzzed inside his front pocket, sending vibrations in that area. 

"Who could it be?" He flipped it open and examined the name. "E-Erwin? Why is he calling me?" As Eren pressed the receive button, a deep and musky voice filled his ears.

"Good news, Eren. We've finally made out the location of the Titans. This is your first chance encountering any danger...so be careful," Erwin said from the other end of the connection.

"W-Wait Erwin! Calm down! What are you saying?" Eren demanded in a desperate tone. He knew what Erwin was talking about but wanted to make sure if he heard right or not. This might be his chance. His chance on avenging his mother's death. Never in his life had he killed anyone; the thought of killing someone sickened him. But this opportunity was far too precious to be slipped away from his hand. Eren knew this whole revenge thing was worthless, fleeting, illusionary and deceptive, like a mirage. This revenge was illusionary like mirage of water in a desert, calling to him, enticing him with its presence, but the mirage couldn't satisfy him. To reciprocate that thought, he couldn't frolick here and there knowing the identity of the person who killed his mother.

"13th Avery street, the old house in front of Travis Park. The Titans have been located there." 

"I will do as told." Eren flipped the cell phone again. "Finally," he muttered. 

A soft velvety blindfold covering the eyes of the ignorant. Beshrew those eyes that lie underneath the mirthful material, oblivious to its ambience. This veil that covers the eyes do bring ecstasy and ebullience to a being whose bed is shared. But if the blindfold, statuesque and long as an elegant woman is sprawled on the eyes of those who hold agony, then behold, for destruction is ought to knock at your door. The agony, hot and boiling as magma shall burn him alive for he would not be able to search for water with his blinded eyes.  
_+_


End file.
